Rights and Accountability 10 June 2011
This month the Guardian (UK) and B’Tselem, the Israeli human rights organization, published a series of videos that powerfully document the state of siege in occupied East Jerusalem. Six cameras were given to Jerusalem residents — four to Palestinians and two to Israelis.
The short videos are shot and narrated by Palestinians describing in their own words the situation they are living under, as well as by Israelis who organize in solidarity with them.
Some of the videos take up issues which have been covered by The Electronic Intifada — like how archaeology is being used as a political tool to displace Palestinians and how families are being forced from their homes or ordered by Israeli courts to share their homes with Israeli settlers.
Here is B’Tselem’s description of the project:
In this innovative project, B’Tselem and the Guardian gave six Palestinians and Israelis cameras to create video diaries of their lives in occupied East Jerusalem, under the shadow of the settlement enterprise. The diaries offer a glimpse into the impact of the volatile reality on their lives. This is one aspect of B’Tselem’s video project, in which the organization has given some 200 Palestinian families cameras to document violations of their rights.
